From the book, ‘Protecting Against Eternal Identity Theft,’ we read:
Satan and his minions, all of whom have eternally rejected their divine identity, are ruthlessly bent on keeping us from understanding and realizing ours. Why are we vulnerable to these attempts at stealing our identity? To begin with, we come into this life with spiritual amnesia about our true origins. We must walk by faith—and while we’re doing that, Satan knows exactly who we are and the power and majesty we possess! From the moment we are born on this earth, it takes faith in Christ to rediscover who we are, why we are here and where we are going after this life. It is a challenge that is meant to teach and test us, and we can be sure that Satan will take advantage of that. It is this last opportunity to exercise his power—and he will stop at nothing. We can’t be foolish enough to think that he will ever show any mercy. We can’t be too careful.
Furthermore, this kind of identity theft may affect every aspect of our being. There is no part of us that is immune to Satan’s pressures and influences: spiritual, emotional, mental, physical and social. They are all tied together in the human soul. Now that we have had the privilege of coming earth and to have been given the gift of a body, it is impossible to affect the spirit or other aspects of our being without having an impact on the spirit and vice versa. Body and spirit will shape each other forever. Indeed the Doctrine and Covenants teaches us clearly that the spirit and body together are the soul of man. (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:15).
Symptoms of Eternal Identity Theft:
Because losing sight of our divine identity affects every aspect of our existence, it can wreak havoc with our lives and be very debilitating. How do we recognize eternal identity theft in our own life? Here are just a few of the symptoms of identity theft:
- Feeling as if we can never do enough or be good enough
- Feeling alone or unloved
- Being motivated by fear instead of faith
- Not liking our bodies
- Thinking we cannot be forgiven, cannot progress, or cannot be saved
- Feeling pressure to perfect ourselves and do it now
- Thinking we have to earn God’s love
- Thinking our worth is dependent on the way we look or the things we do
- Trying to succeed without God’s help
- Thinking happiness comes from pleasing others or self-gratification
- Feeling overwhelmed by life and its trials
- Letting other people decide our identity and value
- Spiritual emptiness and longing
- Feeling constant guilt
- Feeling that life is not fair
- Ingratitude
- Feeling we are not as good as others or that we are better than others
- Not understanding our total dependence on the Atonement of Christ
As you consider the above list, you may think of additional maladies that are linked to misunderstanding and underappreciation of divine identity. There are countless ways that identity theft can damage us, including many that are unique to each individual. Consider the ills that continually plague your own life and how they could be improved or even helped if you could see more clearly and know more certainly that you are the very offspring of God—you could trust that He desires to redeem you, personally, through His Son Jesus Christ no matter who you are.
There are many examples in the scriptures of people who have wandered away and fallen into Satan’s traps but who were reclaimed through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Symbolically, the parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32) represents not only those who have fallen into flagrant sin but, on another level, all of us because we “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
. . . . The father, upon seeing again his beloved son, whom he thought was dead, called forth the best celebration possible—not a celebration for a hired servant, but a feast befitting a beloved son. “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him [distinction]; and put a ring on his hand [a sign of authority], and shoes on his feet [slaves or servants went barefoot]: and bring hither the fatted calf [a great sacrifice of resources saved for only the most joyous of family occasions], and kill it; and let us eat and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:22-24). ~Barbara D. Lockhart, Wendy C.Top & Brent L. Top Protecting Against Eternal Identity Theft (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc. 2013, 6-8 (continued)
